Innovation by Reorganization

Dinesh Tantri writes Breaking Social Networks Versus Building a Learning Organization

FastCompany has an article by Chris Trimble of the Tuck School Of Business about the impact of social networks on innovation . He says while existing social networks are a necessity in the idea generation phase of innovation, they need to be broken and re-created in the execution phase. Quoting from the article :

"Breaking networks is the only way to prepare an organization to take innovation efforts beyond mere ideas. You can train an individual about what an innovation is and why it demands different behavior, but you can't retrain an organization simply by training the individuals within it. The individuals may acquire knowledge, but organizations are more powerful than individuals, and organizations reinforce the past.

So often in my work chronicling innovation efforts, I've observed major turning points for the better following substantial reorganizations. Why? Reorganizations break those involved with an innovation out of their existing network, and force them to forge new relationships and new networks from scratch. "

I particularly like how Dinesh summarizes his own view on this article.

Reorganization, because organizations reinforce the past seems to be a quick fix - A classic case of addressing the symptom and ignoring the underlying problem. To build a debate culture, to surface assumptions as a group and challenge them, to question everything that is conventional wisdom would the key. And this is the training managers would need to ideate and execute innovation. Fundamental changes are tough but these are the long term capability building steps to be taken - IMHO, reorganizing for innovation might not be sustainable.